10 Iconic Movie Characters With Less Screen Time Than You Think

My Neighbor Totoro might have Totoro in the title, but it’s the My (in this case, sisters Satsuki and Mei) who are the stars. That famous image of Totoro with its umbrella at the bus stop doesn’t even appear until over halfway through, and there’s a big gap between this first appearance and its second too.

Once Totoro does return though, they’re front and centre for a while, and the magical adventure that occurs during the movie’s closing stages is enough to fill up the whole film.

Despite this, the movie isn’t ever really about Totoro, and as such it doesn’t get all that much camera time.

The movie is a partly autobiographical story about Hayao Miyizaki’s own mother, who like Satsuki and Mei’s mother, spent a lot of time in hospital as he grew up. Totoro forms the fantastical escapism, but for the most part, the movie is grounded and focussed upon the sisters’ relationship.

His cutesy, forest sprite design was based on a variety of woodland creatures, and as ever with Studio Ghibli, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. There’s enough splendour in Totoro’s appearances to fill a whole movie, but not even close to enough screen time.